A court heard yesterday how a man who claimed that suspicious black papers found by the police were African healing bandages, admitted the papers were actually used to make people believe they were money.

Benjamin Saygbe, 39, born in America, and Yaya Traore, 31 and Yacou Doukoure, 29, both from the Ivory Coast, are accused of trying to defraud various people, including a man, Anton Camilleri, out of more than Lm10,000 and of being involved in organised crime on 14 September 2005 and in the months before.

The men are pleading not guilty to the charges.

Prosecuting inspector Michael Mallia took the stand yesterday and explained how the police uncovered what was being called the “black money scam”.

The alleged victim, Mr Camilleri, had told the police he was keeping a suitcase and a package for a former employee, whom he knew by the name of Tom.

Mr Camilleri claimed that he did not know what the suitcase contained and that he was receiving threatening phone calls and was being asked to hand over large sums of money on account of the contents.

When the suitcase was opened it contained a large number of black papers. The package was a bottle wrapped in paper.

The inspector told the court that the man Mr Camilleri knew as Tom was really a refugee named Kaba Konate. The police did not find Konate, but a search was carried out at a flat in Bugibba where Konate had allegedly resided.

On 12 September 2005, police found a wrapped bottle similar to the one that had been given to Mr Camilleri. They also found a number of black papers also similar to those in the suitcase. Inspector Mallia explained that George Brown, one of the people living in the flat, said he had seen the three accused walking in and out and acting suspiciously. He also said that he had taken photographs of them wrapping something that looked like a bottle.

When interrogated by the police and shown the black papers, Doukoure, who used to go round to the Bugibba flat with other people, first claimed that they were African healing bandages. He later admitted that the black papers were made to make people believe they were money.

He explained that the scam worked by first showing the prospective buyer a genuine note, covered in the black substance, thereby convincing him that the rest of the papers were also real notes.

Doukoure said he had not found anyone to buy the notes in Malta. After the paper was sold, he added, the person would be sold a liquid, at a high cost, that would reveal the “notes” underneath the black coating.

He said the idea had originated in Africa. He confirmed that Saygbe and Traore knew about the scam and that it was Traore who had actually called him to come to Malta.

In turn, Traore claimed he thought the papers were Doukoure’s medicine. Saygbe, who was also questioned by police, claimed the black paper was used by Doukoure in voodoo practices.

Inspector Mallia told the court that during a search Saygbe crushed a paper into his mouth and tried to swallow it, but this was recovered after the police intervened.

The paper Saygbe tried to swallow turned out to be step-by-step instructions on how to blacken paper. When asked why he wanted to destroy the paper, Saygbe claimed that he had thought it contained personal details revealing his bisexual life.

All three said they did not know Mr Camilleri.

The alleged victim also testified at yesterday’s sitting. He explained how one day he received a phone call from a former employee called Tom – who police now believe is Kaba Konate – asking for a favour.

“He told me his friend’s father had been killed in the war and asked me to lend him Lm1,000,” said Mr Camilleri. He said the man also asked him to keep a suitcase for him.

Two days later, he met “Tom” and handed over Lm1,000. He said the man was accompanied by another man, whom he recognised as being Doukoure, one of the accused. He said “Tom” signed a receipt and also handed over the suitcase for Mr Camilleri to keep.

The witness said “Tom” called again two days later, this time asking for Lm12,000. He claimed that he needed the money to buy a chemical to remove some sort of security tag on his money.

“He showed me a pass with the emblem of the American embassy and at first I refused to give him the money,” said Mr Camilleri.

The following day, said Mr Camilleri, he received a phone call from an unidentified number. He said the caller threatened him and his family, saying things like: “Remember you have young children”. After conferring with his wife, he decided to hand over the money in the hope that he and his family would be left in peace.

Mr Camilleri explained that the threats did not stop, even after he gave the Lm12,000. He said he received calls from Spanish telephone numbers. When the callers spoke to him about the suitcase, Mr Camilleri said he was told it belonged to the Mafia and he would be eliminated if he tried to get rid of it.

Finally, after a family holiday was ruined by these calls, Mr Camilleri called the police, filed a report and requested protection for himself and his family. He told the court that while under police supervision he received more phone calls and he was asked for more money, e200,000, to be exact.

Towards the end of his testimony, Mr Camilleri revealed that he was still receiving threatening telephone calls, the most recent last Saturday. He did not want to reveal the number the call was made from so as not to hinder the police investigation.

Under cross-examination, Mr Camilleri said he had only seen Doukoure with “Tom” and had seen the other two accused for the first time at Police Headquarters. When asked why he had originally agreed to help “Tom”, he said he had previously given the man clothes and money and he had always proved to be genuine. He also said that the suitcase had been in his custody for three weeks.

The case continues next week when George Brown, who told the police he had seen the three accused in the Bugibba flat, is due to testify.

Inspectors Michael Mallia and Kevin Borg are prosecuting while Dr Charmaine Cherrett is appearing for the accused. Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima is presiding over the court.